oices, and the mother hen followed them about,
clucking and scratching in the gravel to dig up things for them to eat.

"They'll be all right now," said Grandpa Brown. "The next time the
little ducks go into the water the old hen mother won't be at all
frightened, for she will know it is all right. This always happens when
we let a chicken hatch out ducks' eggs."

"And I thought the little chickens were drowning!" laughed Sue, as she
put on her shoes again.

"Well, that's just what the mother hen thought," said Grandpa Brown.
"But what have you children been doing?"

"Getting ready for a circus," answered Bunny Brown.

"A circus!" exclaimed grandpa, in surprise.

"Yes," explained Sue. "Bunny is going to get a trapeze, and fall down in
the hay, where it doesn't hurt. And he's going to paint his half of our
dog Splash, so Splash will look like a tiger, and we're going to have a
horse, and Bunker Blue is going to hold me on so I can ride
and--and----"

But that was all Sue could think of just then.

Grandpa Brown looked surprised and, taking off his straw hat, scratched
his head, as he always did when thinking.

"Going to have a circus; eh? Well, where abouts?"

"In your barn," said Bunny. "That is, if you'll let us."

Grandpa Brown thought for a little while.

"Well," he said slowly, "I guess I don't mind. I s'pose it's only a
make-believe circus; isn't it?"

"Yes," answered Bunny. "Just pretend."

"Oh, well, go ahead. Have all the fun you like, but don't get hurt. Are
you two going to be the whole circus?"

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Bunny. "We're going to have Tom White and Ned
Johnson----"

"And Nellie Bruce and Sallie Smith," added Sue.

"All the children around here; eh?" asked grandpa. "Well, have a good
time. I used to have a trained dog once. He would do finely for your
circus."

"What could he do?" Bunny wanted to know.

"Oh, he could pretend to say his prayers, make believe he was dead, he
could turn somersaults and climb a ladder."

"Oh, if we only had him for our circus!" cried Bunny.

"Where is that dog now, Grandpa?" asked Sue.

"Oh, he died a good many years ago. But I guess you can get your dog
Splash to do some tricks. Have a good time, but don't get into
mischief."

"We won't!" promised Bunny Brown and his sister Sue. And they really
meant what they said. But you just wait and see what happens.

The rest of that day Bunny and Sue talked about the circus they were
going to have. G